Which flooring style suits you?

Choosing the right floor covering

A floor covering has to withstand a lot. Depending on how much it is used and in which rooms it is installed, different materials are suitable. Parquet and planks are timeless classics when it comes to flooring. But laminate and vinyl are also very popular. They are particularly easy to care for and available in different designs. Here you can find out which flooring is best for your project.

You might also be interested in laminate flooring

Laminate flooring is very popular, as laminate flooring is relatively well as low-maintenance and looks similar to the floor. The laminate is not made of real wood, but mostly of an MDF board, an affixed decor, and a coating made of synthetic resin.

Laminate is particularly insensitive to abrasion, scratches, pressure, and bumps. Even cigarette burns and UV light can do little to harm the floor. You should only be careful with the mopping water: If the mopping is too damp, the laminate can swell at the joints.

The feeling of walking on the laminate is also incomparable, as it has a noise-absorbing effect and prevents the loud creaking.

Prefabricated parquet

Prefabricated parquet consists of two to three layers. The top one is usually already treated, for example, oiled or brushed. Compared to solid parquet, prefabricated parquet is easier to lay. Many products can be simply put together using the click system or they are glued over the entire surface. Plank 1-strip or 3-strip are typical examples of prefabricated parquet.

The choice of material is decisive for the appearance and also for the longevity. Oak, beech, ash, birch, or maple are particularly robust. Conifers such as pine or spruce are cheap alternatives.

parquet floor

Parquet is a particularly high-quality floor that is also very durable.

Parquet is composed of horizontal solid wood elements. A floor may only be called parquet if the real wood wears layer is at least 2.5 mm thick. The thicker this layer, the more often you can sand it down and make the floor look new again.

The choice of wood is also crucial for parquet. Because this determines the robustness and the appearance. Here you can choose between types of wood such as oak, ash, maple, walnut, and other types for the parquet flooring.

Planed floorboards

According to DIN 4072, planning boards are pounded boards, so they have a groove on one long side and a tongue on the other. Models with rounded heads are also available. The plane boards are made of wood types such as spruce, fir, pine, or larch. Plane boards are usually around 20 mm to 25 mm thick. This means that they can be sanded down several times if they are damaged and look new afterward.

With planned boards, a distinction is made between the profile size and the cover size. With the profile dimension, the spring is taken into account when measuring, but not with the coverage dimension. The boards are mounted on the sub-floor with nails or screws. As soon as the floor is laid, it is sanded and sealed with varnish.

Carpeting floor covering

Carpet is particularly suitable for rooms in which you like to have your feet warm, such as in the bedroom and children’s room.

Carpets are textile floor coverings that are either laid loosely, glued, or also attached with Velcro. They are made from cotton, flax, jute, or coconut, but polyamide and nylon are also increasingly being processed.

A carpet as a floor covering is especially pleasant if you like it to be soft and warm under your feet. In the bedroom and children’s carpet is therefore very popular.

When it comes to choosing colors,  there are hardly any limits for carpeting by the meter. However, it is advisable to ensure that the various furnishings are color-coordinated with the carpeting. 

A carpet can be cleaned quite easily. If carpet tiles have been laid, some of them can even be exchanged to remove dirt or damage.

Mineral floor coverings

Mineral floors are a particularly suitable floor covering in the bathroom or in the kitchen.

A floor covering made of mineral material is particularly suitable for heavily used areas. Here you have the choice between natural stones, terrazzo, or ceramic tiles.

Mineral floor coverings conduct heat particularly well. They are therefore a good choice in rooms with underfloor heating. The abrasion group tells you how hard-wearing the flooring is. The higher the value, the less sensitive the material is. Materials in abrasion group 5 have the highest insensitivity.

PVC / vinyl floor

Vinyl is easy to care for, robust, and very easy to lay. It is therefore excellent in the kitchen.

A PVC or vinyl floor made of plastic is significantly less sensitive than one made of a natural material. Therefore, plastic floors are used particularly often in rooms with high humidity, such as the kitchen, as a floor covering.

Due to the smooth surface, plastic floors are very easy to clean and are therefore particularly recommended for allergy sufferers or pet owners. You can buy a PVC floor as either tiles or sheets. Both variants can be glued seamlessly.

Plastic floor coverings offer countless visual options. They are also available, for example, with a natural-looking wood look that is reminiscent of oak or beech floors.

linoleum

In contrast to PVC flooring, linoleum is a renewable raw material made from vegetable and mineral substances. In addition to linseed oil, wood or cork flour, ground limestone, pigments, and natural resins are also part of the floor covering.

PVC floors and linoleum are both extremely hard-wearing: as a floor covering, they are durable and easy to maintain.

Linoleum can also be laid over underfloor heating without any problems, as the heat can penetrate through the material. When it comes to color, you can choose between subtle tones such as beige or gray and strong colors such as red, green, or blue. There is also linoleum in different decors.

You get the floor covering either by the meter or as a click product that you put together like laminate.